Silent but Deadly
by HecateA
Summary: So maybe Jason and Reyna's first encounter wasn't as suave as it could have been... Oneshot. 10/16


**I haven't written stories about Jason and Reyna in a while and deep inside, we all know that I want to. Take this platonically or romantically; the choice is yours. All that I hope for is that you enjoy the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the HoO universe.**

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**Silent but Deadly**

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She hadn't really looked anybody in the eye since she'd gotten to camp. She sat with people at the dining room, sure, but never happily, never for company, never to move around and talk to anyone in particular with any story. When they weren't supposed to be marching in formation, she never walked in clicks with other legionnaires. The weird and uncanny habit of Roman girls to wear their hair in matching braids with their friends never applied to her. While sparring, she was always the last one picked out with pairings, and she ended up training against people who… well, weren't anywhere near her level.

Her level...

Right now, they were in the midst of their free time. Jason had a habit of going to the arena after training (a short guy had to be _really _good if he didn't want to get pushed around Rome), but he wasn't the only one who'd had the idea apparently. Reyna was standing in the arena and serving his own butt to this dummy.

She. Was. Ferocious.

Her footwork was like spitfire, her manoeuvering was agile and surprising. Every move of hers was powerful. She was unpredictable, the only pattern in her moves being her strength and speed and swiftness. Unlike most of the legionnaires that Jason had seen over his life, she didn't limit herself to her weapon. She was kicking and throwing punches as well. The dummy was bouncing around its base, and the plastic face was cracked after a fierce roundhouse kick that was so hard, Reyna had to step back to regain her balance.

Jason had made an art out of watching legionnaires since he was a child. Reyna was always awesome and terrifying during the training exercises and war games that Jason had seen her in. However right now, there was something else about this energy she was emitting was new.

It was frustration. Something wasn't going well for her in New Rome and Jason's list of possible reasons why was limitless. He'd grown up in the camp. Sure, he'd been a cute little kid but he'd also been a burden. He'd been an extra responsibility, he'd been annoying, he'd had complicated questions to ask, he'd been deadweight as far as most chores and war games went. A lot of legionnaires hadn't liked having him around the already strenuous Fifth Cohort. And when he'd outgrown his cuteness and charm, he'd been a small, knobby-kneed, skinny and easy target. He _knew _how hainous and harsh the people in New Rome could be. Things had only started going his way once a second knobby-kneed, skinny twelve year old in the form of Bobby had gotten to Camp Jupiter.

Finally she took the dummy out of his misery. The final blow made the dummy's head fly -Jason swore- ten feet away.

"You're really good," Jason said out of nowhere.

She didn't even flinch to turn and look at him. She'd barely broken a sweat.

"Thank you," she said. She spoke coldly. Jason swallowed. Were you supposed to be happy and energetic and happy or what..? What was the response.

Encouraging. Encouraging, there he went.

"Like, really," Jason said. "Wow… you were… so ridiculously strong… and you didn't even make it look hard or predictable or noticeable. You were, like, silent and deadly."

"Like a fart." Reyna said. "Nice."

Jason's energy deflated. Reyna laughed.

"I was joking," she said. "You're so red."

"Sorry," Jason said. "I didn't mean…"

"I know, it's fine," Reyna said pushing her head out of her face. "I have a horrible sense of humour. Barely use it too. Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I had it coming," Jason said nervously. Reyna sounded nervous too. "It wasn't bad, actually…"

Reyna looked at the ground. She was nervous too.

"I'm Jason, by the way," he said.

"Yes, you're in my cohort," she nodded.

"Yeah, but I never introduced myself," he said. "Jason."

"Yes, you just said that," Reyna said.

Jason smiled.

"Plans for dinner tonight?" Jason asked. "I usually eat with Gwen and Dakota and Bobby and them. Want to come? We might be having beans."

Reyna laughed harder than he'd have thought that she could.


End file.
